Ephesians 5:5 says, “For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolator hath any inheritance…” and verse 5:6 goes on to say, “Let no man deceive you with vain words…”  Vain words are useless words; they have no eternal value.  It means “void of any worth” in the Greek.  God says, “Don’t be deceived.”  There is a lot of noise among Christians, but these things practiced, these things allowed in your midst, bring the wrath of God upon the disobedient.  These were a people who were in the midst of the church, who appeared to be in right standing and appeared to be the sons of God.  God said this behavior will bring the wrath of God upon us, upon these people.  So “be not ye therefore partakers with them.”  He goes on to make a powerful statement in verse 8, “For ye were sometimes [children of] darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord:  walk as children of light.”  So, in the last days we will see something that’s important here:  light is a key factor in the life of believers.  First John tells us, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” Amen?  Are you someone who readily runs to the light?  Do you run to have everything about you that is out of order exposed so you can do something about it?  Are you comfortable in the light?  “God is Light”; amen?  This holiness of God, this awesomeness of God’s holiness, when we get glimpses of it, and you’re a child of light, you’re drawn into that presence, the loveliness of God, the gentleness of God, the peace of God.  Beloved, in His presence this peace abides.  Hallelujah!  “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.”  It is not superficial; it is not temporary.  “I give you a peace that the natural mind cannot comprehend.  Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.  Hallelujah!  I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

Don’t you want to see Him?  Isn’t there a homesickness?  Are we ready for the coming of the Lord?  Is your thinking caught up in the heavenlies?  Are you looking for a city whose builder and maker is God, or are you caught up in getting that bigger house, that nicer car, or that raise, that spouse?  What has your heart?  “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).  Stop letting that be poetry to you, such a sweet sounding thing that you’ve memorized.  Beloved, I want you to understand something; it’s a question:  What would you give for your soul?  How much is it going to take?  I heard a person asked that question not too long ago, and the guy said “$100‑million.”  A $100‑million!  You wouldn’t even entertain it (would you?) as a believer.  Yet, some of us have sold out for far less than that.

You have all heard this illustration (we have given it many times) about the woman and the solicitation.  The lady offers her number up of what it would take to get her into bed: $1,000.00.  He responds, “No, how about $10.00.”  She retorts, “What do you think I am?”  “We’ve already established what you are; now we’re just negotiating the price.”  What about our lover, the world?  How many times have you slipped off and slept with the world?  In your mind?  In the lusts of our hearts for more?  “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.”  Beloved, we live in an hour that, if we are not watching and praying, we will enter into temptation, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches and the lusts of other things will enter into our lives and choke out this Word that we hold so precious.